Four51 and Pageflex Announce Strategic Partnership

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Press release from the issuing company

Minneapolis, MN— April 4, 2006 — Four51 Inc., a rapidly growing commerce-on-demand (COD) network provider, and Pageflex, the leading provider of Web-to-print and cross-media technology, today announced an expanded strategic partnership to deliver a scalable Internet-based solution that enables companies to easily manage over time their evolving use of targeted direct mail campaigns, personalized and highly-customized variable data print solutions, and cost effective Web-to-print and on-demand print programs.
Since 2004, Four51 has provided print service providers and corporate customers with development and hosting of Web interfaces that they use to customize and order direct mail campaigns, dynamic document output using Pageflex Mpower, and distribution of output files to select print facilities.
Pageflex Mpower is a robust, dynamic-composition server that generates highly-customized documents on-the-fly based on data originating from Web forms, databases, or CRM systems. Four51 has executed more than three million variable data jobs through Pageflex Mpower since first incorporating the technology in 2004.
As part of their newly expanded strategic partnership, Pageflex and Four51 now will provide a seamless migration path for those companies that decide to move their production servers in-house and host their own Pageflex Mpower Web-to-print systems.
“Sales growth is the top priority at every company today, and yet cost effective customer acquisition is the biggest challenge,” explains Rich Landa, president, Four51 products and solutions. “Our partnership with Pageflex provides businesses with the ability to quickly and efficiently execute low-cost, innovative 1:1 marketing campaigns and other localized, targeted customer acquisition activities.”
In addition to offering commerce-on-demand services, Four51 also will offer customers training in how to design for variable data campaigns using Pageflex Persona Cross Media Suite. This will enable internal marketing departments and agencies to develop direct mail campaigns that are then executed through the Four51 system.
Four51 recently chose another Pageflex software package, Pageflex Persona Cross Media Suite, as its company standard for variable data template design. This desktop application incorporates award-winning Pageflex variable data and cross-media functionality. Among the compelling features in the product are its easy-to-use variable data interface, flexible layouts that dynamically accommodate varying sizes of custom content, and text composition support for more than 60 languages, including Japanese and Chinese. Variable data projects developed in Pageflex Persona Cross Media Suite are fully compatible with Pageflex server-class products, including Pageflex Mpower, and enable instantaneous deployment to an online Web-to-print storefront, such as Four51 provides.
“Over the past two years the response from the Four51 network for Web-to-print on demand composition has been phenomenal,” says Anna Chagnon, Pageflex CEO. “Four51 is a valued Pageflex partner with proven experience developing a robust on-demand business focused on Web-to-print services.”
“We are dedicated to enabling both companies conducting on-demand marketing campaigns and ASP companies, like Four51, to be successful,” continues Chagnon. “We appreciate that for some companies working with an on-demand provider is the right business approach for their personalized direct mail and other on-demand marketing campaigns. We are excited to be able to offer the extensive Four51 service as a solution for these companies, while providing the flexibility of a seamless migration path to internally hosted Pageflex Mpower Web-to-print systems.”
As part of the strategic partnership, Four51 and Pageflex have committed to executing several joint go-to-market activities aimed at driving growth for both firms.
A podcast interview with Rich Landa, Four51 president, and Anna Chagnon, Pageflex CEO is available for download. Go to http://www.four51.com/four51_pageflex.mp3 .